Wednesday, July 25, 2018

There was a time when Sun Certification was very hot and programmers feel proud of being Sun Certified Java Professional(SCJP). After Oracle took over Sun in early 2010, it changed names of all the examination from SCJP to OCPJP or OCJP, and now OCA and OCP for Java SE 7 and Java SE 8. I see there is a lot of confusion among certification nowadays, but essentially they are of the same level at previous SCJP. Since Java gets new language feature with every new release, subsequently a new certification title is introduced. I am not agreed with upgrading your Java certification with every release, it doesn't make much sense to me, but many programmers prefer to get certified and keep it updated. By the way, many Java programmers also ask me, whether doing Java certification benefits in a Job search or in long-term Java programming role, In short, Yes, they do. You can read my response to my post does Java Certification adds value to your career. This post is not about debating Java certification, but about preparing for them. I received a lot of emails from my readers when I wrote my post Top 5 Java Programming books, and they asked me for the suggestion on how to excel on Java certifications like OCPJP, books, and resource to prepare etc.In this post, we will see a couple of good books prepare for OCA (Oracle Certified Associate) and OCP (Oracle Certified Professional) for Java SE 8 exam. In short, you can call it OCPJP 8. Apart from the book, you should also use the exam simulator, preferably from Whizlabs, which I have personally used and liked it. Whizlabs has two exam simulators for Java SE 8 exam, OCAJP 8 exam simulator, and OCPJP 8 simulator, they will help you to get familiar with exam patterns and types of questions asked in the actual exam.

OCA Java SE 8 Programmer Exam Book

The latest Java certification is Java SE 8 Associate and Programmer exams with exam code 1Z0-908 and 1Z0-809 and you should the OCA: Oracle Certified Associate Java SE 8 Programmer I Study Guide: Exam 1Z0-808 1st Edition by Jeanne Boyarsky (Author), Scott Selikoff (Author) book to prepare the first exam. Since there are not many choices available, you have stuck with it but nevertheless its a very good book, covering all new features of Java 8 and exam syllabus.

For Java 8, you can also use these free OCAJP mock exams to get familiar with the format and difficulty level you can expect in the real exam. By the way, I have shared a lot of resources and tips for doing well on Java certification which you can find on this blog. For examples, to start with you can check this article to join some excellent Java certification courses and read this article to find some good books depending upon which version of Java certification you are preparing.

2 Good Books for OCPJP 7 Java Certification

Following are a couple of books for Java SE 7 Certification exams. These books are pretty much standard and everyone follows them, they are also updated to cover the exact syllabus of OCA or OCP Java SE 7 exams.

1) OCA and OCP Java SE 7 Programmer I & II Study Guide (Exams 1Z0-803 & 1Z0-804) (Certification Press)This book is revised and updated version of Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates best seller SCJP Sun Certified Programmer for Java 6 Exam 310-065. Since things have changed, the book needs to be updated as well. Books from this author for Java certification is pretty much like a textbook for OCPJP, as everyone advised about them and almost everyone who passes Oracle Java certification follows them. One thing, which is worth noting, If you are not already SCJP or OCJP certified professional and becoming Oracle certified professional first time, then you need to pass two exams to become Oracle Certified Java Professional 7, instead of one.

Thankfully this book covers both exams. As you can see in the title as OCA/OCP Java SE 7 Programmer I & II Study Guide (Exams 1Z0-803 & 1Z0-804). If you just want to prepare with one book, this is the one. As per my experience combination of one book + a couple of mock tests from Whizlabs and other simulators can be really handy, and it’s much better than preparing through multiple books.

OCA Java SE 7 Programmer I Study Guide (Exam 1Z0-803) (Oracle Press)
This is another Java book, which can be handy to prepare first part of OCJP 7 or Oracle Certified Java Professional 7 exam. Since this book is from Oracle press, you can expect them to follow the syllabus and cover things which will be subject to examination. By the way, the book is currently available on Amazon Kindle as well and you can buy it here from Amazon.

I haven't read this book completely, but the good thing is that it covers all topics and contains 2 mock exams, which gives the feel of real exams.

The quality of questions in pre-test is also good but better than many online materials. Ganesh and Sharma's book are only options right now for giving OCA or OCP Java SE 7 exam.

Lots of things have been changed from original SCJP exams to this OCJP 7 exam, including two exams, but I believe the fundamental pattern of the exam will remain the same. Since there is a lot of material available FREE of cost on the internet, preparation is not that difficult, but you need to get syllabus right. I also suggest taking relevant mock exams from Whizlabs e.g. OCAJP and OCPJP7 Exam Simulator contains lots of questions with the actual difficulty level. You can also try these free OCAJP 7 mock exams, those are really good, they help you to be familiar with exam patterns and types of question asked on the actual exam. I have used them in the past and really impressed with the quality. Not only giving their test but also learning from there an explanation and finding a reason why the certain choice is good and others are not.

Java Certification Books for SCJP 6 and OCAJP 8

Some of my readers also ask me books for doing SCJP 6, or better known as OCJP 6 or Oracle Certified Associate, Java SE 5/SE 6. Since Java 1.6 is still used a lot in Investment banks and other software companies, there is no harm in doing SCJP 6.

Though if you ask me personally, I would probably recommend doing Java Certification for Java SE 8 version. Anyway, if you are still pursuing SCJP 6, the following books can help you to prepare well.

This is the most respected Java Certification books and a lot of programmers has already used this book to clear SCJP 6 with a brilliant score. It is highly popular from the older days of Sun Certification and one of the most recommended books during SCJP 5.

It covers complete topics, presents lots of subtle details and brings on several confusing, interesting Java questions. If you can, read this book two times before setting up for SCJP, it's worth it.

Though I prefer to read multiple books to get the view from different authors, as some author connects to me more than others, but if you are running short of time and have a goal to become Oracle Certified Java programmer within a few months, I think following only one book is enough, provided it cover everything.

In short, if you already finalized examination date or purchase exam voucher with limited validity then start with SCJP Sun Certified Programmer for Java 6 Exam.

OCP Java SE 6 Programmer Practice Exams

This SCJP book is also from the same authors, but it only contains a mock question and practice exams. It's a good supplement to earlier book and together with the form best study material for SCJP 6.

Apart from these two books, you can also read Java language specification as it's from Oracle itself and it also provides lots of useful information with good examples. If your goal is to score more than 90% marks then you can also try Java Certification simulators from Whizlabs and Enthuware.

I have personally used Whizlabs exam simulators for SCJP and found it very useful. Their quality of the question, the pattern is very close to real exam and most wonderful thing about their product is the detailed explanation of each question and options. You will not only learn why a particular option is correct but also why other options are not correct.

That's all about some of the best books to prepare for Oracle's Java Certification for Java SE 6, 7, and 8. If you are looking for a course to prepare Java SE 8 certification then Oracle Java Certification - Pass the Associate 1Z0-808 Exam! from Udemy is a good place to start it. It explains about new features of Java 8 e.g. lambda expressions, streams, functional interfaces, Optional, new date and time API and other miscellaneous changes required for OCAJP 8 exam.

Thanks for reading this article so far. If you have found these books
useful for Java SE 8 Certification then please share with your friends
and colleagues. If you have any question or feedback then please drop a
comment.

Good post. But these books are yet to be released. A book that is available in market for OCPJP7 preparation is "Oracle Certified Professional Java SE 7 Programmer Exams 1Z0-804 and 1Z0-805: A Comprehensive OCPJP 7 Certification Guide" by S G Ganesh and Tushar Sharma: http://www.amazon.com/Certified-Professional-Programmer-1Z0-804-1Z0-805/dp/1430247649

Hi Javin, today, which book you will recommend as best book to prepare for SCJP? I just want to use one book but that must be best which not only cover complete syllabus but also has decent questions, similar to be asked on real exam? I have done some research and found that many programmer's suggest Kathy Siera or Khalid Mughal, but both doesn't attract me.

@Tapan Sharma, OCA stands for Oracle Certified Associates while OCP stands for Oracle Certified Professional. OCA is very basic level exam, while OCP is for Java professionals who are working on real software projects and companies.

Hello Javin, Does OCAJP is must before taking for OCP Java SE 7 exam? I searched for it but still confused as some says it's not mandatory and some says you must take OCA before going for OCP. Please help.

Hello, I have basic knowlwgde of Java so for which certification i go for as i have 1 year of experience..I just moved to USA one month back and wanted to get a good job for that i want to do a certification

Can you please post the link to download FREE PDF version of these books? I am going to appear for the exam in next six month and looking to download ebook or pdf version as soon as possible thanks dude.

hi guys can anyone help me I'm intending to take my 1st exam which is java SE 7 I programmer exam but , I don't have much knowledge to take ! is it possible that I can rely on those books that mentioned above ? or from where should I start ?

I used Mala Gupta's book for 1ZO-803 and i did 2 of the Ethunware tests (i had previous knowledge of Java tho, but no work experience - just university). The book helped me understand a lot and the tests were also useful (although really really hard, much harder than the exam) => passed the first time with 93%. So if you have a basic knowledge already, i recommend the 2.

Hello Aditya, SCJP is no longer available and it's now called OCP or Oracle Java Certification. Latest edition of Oracle Java certification is Oracle Certified Associate, Java SE 8 Programmer with code 1Z1-808. This exam is written based upon latest Java 8 release (released on march 18 2014) and cost around 60 USD. Though it's very new, and many developers are still pursuing Oracle Certified Associate, Java SE 7 Programmer 1Z0-803, costs around 290 USD. You can buy vouchers from Oracle's website. If you have already passed associate level exam then you can go for Oracle Certified Professional, Java SE 7 Programmer, exam code 1Z0-804.

Is 1z0-804 exam 50 dollars?Also do you recommend to take 1z0-808 exam or 803 exam.Lastly, anybody have mala gupta's OCA programmer 2 pdf version of the book? Can you send dumps to me also.. thank you very much...

@Anonymous, if you are working full time as Java developer then just buying one of the guide mentioned in this book, along with Whizlabs or Enthuware simulator is enough to prepare for OCAJP and OCPJP in two months.

Hello Vinay, Yes, you need to clear OCAJP before you can go for OCPJP. For Java 8, OCA exam is 1Z0-808 (Oracle Certified Associate, Java SE 8 Programmer) and you can see the syllabus here. OCP exam for Java 8 is not yet released but its announced 1Z-809, so you need to wait even if you pass OCA for Java 8.

Best site for Learning and Dumps for OCJP.You will get set of 11 tests which ensures 100% marks in OCJP. All the bestwww.exampit.com(Welcome to ExamPit )

ExamPit is a platform for Student and Teacher, where Student can give Free/Paid Test as per the subject of interest and Teacher can earn by creating Test. Also there are Free test on OCJP/SCJP/1Z0-851 for 100% success

well i had made an android application for OCJP/SCJP which contain more than 800+ question with explanations hope this will help as Mocks for uYou can ask Your doubt/Question On stack and get answer from experts.Java OCJP + - Android Apps on Google Play (Java OCJP + - Android Apps on Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ocjp.scjp.scjpjava))

Sorry, we don't have any OCAJP or OCPJP dumps. I don't advise anyone to look into dump as well. Certification are not mandatory, you do because you want to improve your knowledge and skill and using dump is not going to help with knowledge or skill.

Hi, I am new in java language,And I want to take preparation for java certification, Please give me suggestions and guidelines on it.Can any one please send me the java certification related dumps. Mail Id: itmausam@gmail.com

Hello @Anonymous, though experience will always help you it's not mandatory for Java certification. You can start preparing now so that once you pass your BTech, you are ready for job. The certification will not only distinguish you from other candidates but also it would be very easy for you to clear any Java technical exam, which is asked as part of Interview.